01/15/2013 3:14PM

Hollywood Park's future to be presented to California Horse Racing Board

By Steve Andersen
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A decision on whether Betfair Hollywood Park will conduct a fall meeting later this year, or be closed for future development, is expected to be announced at Thursday’s California Horse Racing Board meeting at Santa Anita.

Hollywood Park has not publicly indicated what will be announced Thursday. The track’s president, Jack Liebau, declined to elaborate on the track’s plans earlier this month. There are expectations among industry officials that the track will conduct racing this fall, according to two people familiar with the discussions. Hollywood has been assigned racing dates from Nov. 6 to Dec. 22, according to the racing board’s website.

Last August, Hollywood Park officials committed to running a spring meeting this year – from April 24 to July 14 – but would not commit to a 2013 fall meeting that far in advance.

Hollywood Park officials have stated that the Inglewood, Calif., track will eventually be closed for residential and commercial development, and that the racing industry would have a six-month notice of those plans in order to facilitate the relocation of more than 1,000 Thoroughbreds based there and to reconfigure racing dates in Southern California.

Los Alamitos officials have expressed an interest in expanding its five-eighth-mile track in Orange County, and building additional stables, to accommodate Thoroughbred racing in the event of Hollywood Park’s closure, but the track has not released any formal plans.

Nardinsky 10 months ago
It's hard to believe that they would close it now Fall meet attendance and handle were up almost 14% in 2012. Also, there is no indication that condos or new housing would be a profitable endeavor. A recent housing development near Hollywood Park continues to have close to a 40% vacancy. Inglewood has a sky high foreclosure rate and is nowhere near what is considered to be a desirable community to live in. High crime rates, air traffic patterns that pass directly over Hollywood Park and poor schools ensure that any housing project would be a monumental loss to the investors. As it stand now Hollywood Park is a huge economy booster. The number of direct and indirect jobs and small business that exist because of this racetrack is tremendous. I believe that no rational person would attempt the plan to demolish the racetrack to build condos.
John 10 months ago
LOS AL YES. IT TIME FOR ORANGE COUNTY !
Forego137 10 months ago
It would be a travesty to close down HP, enough with the threats close the damn track down and they will find out what a big mistake was made and horse racing as we know it in California will soon be lost forever, Loa Alamitos will close then Del Mar and finally Santa Anita. Closure of HP will severly cause the loss of racing fans and the decline of business for the other tracks due to this very big mistake that will be committed.
JDS0810 10 months ago
And the merry-go-round continues. It's like Groundhog Day. Yes, there will be a fall meet, and yes they will talk about it again next year.
le_fresh 10 months ago
Hollywood park isnt going anywhere. Betfair privately purchased the land and its there to stay
Nancy Albino 10 months ago
For those of you who have never been to Inglewood, where Hollywood Park is located, (nicknamed "IngleWatts" by Los Angeles residents, due to the poverty and high crime), these developers should realize that HPT http://www.hollywoodparktomorrow.com/vision/ will NEVER work. I don't know anyone in LA who is willing to move into that area (which is also in line-of-site for LAX take-offs & landings). I have no idea what they are charging for homes, but I doubt that it's affordable. There is no support for any decent businesses in the area. You certainly don't want to walk around there at night, unless you count going to the barred-up check-cashing place, liquor store, laundromat, Quicki-Mart, or flop-house motels as your social life. Many people DO come to Inglewood for the racetrack. And when the racing is over, they leave. At least the racetrack is generating some revenue for the town, which has it's own problems, as I've stated.
DELTAhouse 10 months ago
best thing to do is declare it a historical landmark ...and not allow ANOTHER mall to be built as well as gated community housing....i would rather see a large park with nothing more than a lake and nature trails as well as a golf course.... than that urban blight called a mall ....
Jose Sandoval Brito 10 months ago
It's a real shame to lose BHP, I personally grew up in SA, Hp and DMR and can say being there is and always will be a great feeling. Nothing compares to the excitement of thoroughbred racing and who can forget something like that. It's true that the neighborhood hasn't been the best but you can't deny wanting to se the Hollywood Gold Cup every year with the older horses. Remembering Copelan's Eagle racing as a 13 14 year old, when he was running he was older than me at the time. It's a real shame to have HP turned into a mall or housing, only those who got to see racing there will know the feeling of loosing it regardless of the neighborhood. Great memories, great horses, great races, great track
Cover2 11 months ago
The track doesn't have to completely close. Go back to a mile, take away the north end eighth, still have the turf. Tear down the main grandstand to just beyond the Whittingham bar, reserved section past the escalators, the few are there & in clubhouse anyway. Casino & Pavilion are gonna stay regardless. Now, barn area, just need a small area horses shipping in that day or two, some workouts. You still have plenty of room for the houses, business's et al ect ect. These would be smaller meetings 25summer 15 fall Have the remaining days at Los Al & Pomona........it could be done, everyone happy !
gio parker 11 months ago
Why does the CHRB continue to allow California horse racing to subsidise a land investment company,by letting them continue to race? As a tax payer in Ca. I see less tax revenue from handle generated at HP. They've made it clear they will sell the property when "things turn around" Granted it was a beautiful track with a great history but its time to move on for the betterment of racing in Ca.
Nancy Bostelman 11 months ago
Are you kidding I hope?! No true racing fan would want to see a wrecking ball destroy our beautiful,historical Hollywood Park because of taxes and it's "time to move on" #$!%!
gio parker 11 months ago
Bay Meadows Land Co made an untimely investment not in racing but in property when they bought HP Why again should Ca racing subsides the land management co. with horse racing revenue. your feelings are tied to close to HP when you say our track
Suzanne Thomas 11 months ago
CA racing is not "subsidizing" the Bay Meadows Land Co. by paying rent for racing at Hollywood Park. A subsidy is defined as "Monetary assistance granted by a government to a person or group in support of an enterprise regarded as being in the public interest." They are merely paying rent.
Suzanne Thomas 11 months ago
And actually, Hollywood Park is paying the rent out of their operating expenses, NOT the CHRB.
Suzanne Thomas 11 months ago
There is less tax revenue generated from the handle at HP because the overall handle at HP is less.
Suzanne Thomas 11 months ago
IF the CHRB decided to deny future dates for racing to Hollywood Park, there would be NO racing at all, NO handle, and NO tax revenue. Some tax revenue coming in while waiting for the final curtain to fall is preferable to NO tax revenue at all.